If you could share your struggles, hopes, or confusions anonymously, what would you say?

Our personal anxieties extend into our public life and many of the conflicts in our communities come from a lack of trust and understanding. It’s easy to be an angry neighbor when you don’t know the other person. Over time I’ve seen how the personal anonymous prompt on Before I Die installations can offer a gentle first step towards honesty and vulnerability in public, which can lead to trust and understanding. These are essential elements for a more compassionate society.

When Bailey Meyers created a Before I Die installation in Guilford, Connecticut, as part of a project to earn his Eagle Scout award, he was only fifteen years old but spoke with the thoughtfulness of a weathered man. “I think when people anonymously put things on the boards, then they’re more honest about it. So they can really express how they feel inside because there’s no one judging them, because there are no names connected to these things,” he told the Shore Line Times. “A lot of times we’re just constantly hurtling through life, going for the next job promotion, going to get out of school, going to pay for your kid’s college, all the things that you sort of have to do. You’re just working towards all these short term goals and you’re not really looking at the big picture of what you really want to do. So this will help people get back on track.” More here and here.